Filing and Tracking Your VA Disability Claim
Step-by-step guidance from filing to decision — and what to do while you wait.
Last updated October 2026. Sources: VA.gov, ID.me
Want the full route with checklists? Follow The Claim Map — our interactive, step-by-step walkthrough from ID.me sign-in to decision.
Step 1: Get your VA.gov sign-in (the front door)
Everything you do online with the VA — filing a claim, uploading evidence, checking status — starts with one thing: a verified sign-in. You create it through ID.me, the VA’s identity-proofing partner. It takes about 10 minutes, you only do it once, and it’s free.
Go to VA.gov and select Sign in.
Choose Create an ID.me account. (Login.gov and CLEAR also work — one verified account is all you need.)
Verify your identity: a photo of your driver’s license, state ID, or passport; a short video selfie; your phone number; and your Social Security number.
Select Allow on the authorization screen so the VA can receive your verified information.
Sign in. You’re ready — this same account files your claim and tracks it to a decision.
Not comfortable with computers — or can’t verify online?
You have three alternatives, and all of them work: 1) ID.me can verify you by live video call with an agent or in person at a walk-in location. 2) Call the VA at 1-800-827-1000 (Mon–Fri, 8am–9pm ET) — they can take your claim by phone and answer questions. 3) Work with a free accredited VSO representative (VFW, DAV, American Legion) who will sit with you and file everything on your behalf — find one at va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative. Many veterans file their entire claim this way, and it costs nothing.
How to File
Once you’re signed in, the claim itself is VA Form 21-526EZ. Filing online is fastest — and starting the online application automatically sets your Intent to File date, which protects your back pay while you gather evidence.
Online at VA.gov — fastest, with built-in error checks and upload. Save and come back within a year.
By phone — 1-800-827-1000.
By mail — VA Claims Intake Center, PO Box 4444, Janesville, WI 53547-4444.
In person — at a VA regional office.
With a free accredited VSO — they file it with you, start to finish.
Choose your pace: a Fully Developed Claim (you submit all evidence up front) usually gets the fastest decision. A standard claim means the VA helps gather records — helpful, but slower. Either way, list every condition — anything left off the form can’t be rated in this decision.
After You File
Expect an initial review in one to two weeks, evidence gathering over one to three months, a possible C&P exam, and a decision typically within three to six months.
The C&P Exam
A C&P exam helps the VA evaluate your condition. Learn how to prepare and what to expect in our C&P Exams guide.
The VA schedules it automatically after you file a claim
It is free to you
It can be in-person at a VA facility or with a contracted provider, or by telehealth
The examiner writes a report for the VA rater — you do not get a copy automatically
Describe your worst-day symptoms honestly — the exam captures a single moment, and it should reflect how the condition actually affects your life.
If Your Claim Is Denied
Read the decision letter carefully. You have one year to appeal, and the Decision Support tool can help you choose the right review lane.